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Bihar has made extensive use of technology to combat pandemic: Jibesh Kumar
NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the worst times in many decades, but one silver lining is that the COVID-19 crisis pushed companies and governments over the technology tipping point—and forever changed business. It has brought about 5 years of change in digitization in just over a year.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology was critical in keeping our society running during lockdowns and quarantines. Furthermore, these technologies may have a long-term impact beyond COVID-19. Many new trends have emerged in the world, impacting our day-to-day needs. There are no sectors that have been unaffected by the change. We have seen trends such as OTTs replacing TV/Cinema, Ola/Rapido/uber becoming new transportation norms, Classroom learning shifting to online AI based learning, Tele consultation becoming new norms for OPDs, Grocery traction to apps such as BigBasket, Amazon and Flipkart becoming new shopping destinations, office meetings shifting to zoom/google meet/teams, and so on.
“Bihar’s government has made extensive use of technology to combat the pandemic and assist all segments of society during these trying times.” Said Hon’ble Minister, IT Bihar, Jibesh Kumar.
Key initiatives of the state are as follows:
- Garur App: The Bihar government launched the “Garur App” to track and monitor migrants and all those who have arrived in the state via rail, road, and flight from across the country and abroad. The app has aided in the tracking of over two lakh international and domestic travellers in Bihar, as well as the mapping of their skills. The app was created by the Bihar Disaster Management Department.
- Bihar Corona Sahayata app: To combat COVID-19, the Bihar state government launched the Bihar Corona Sahayata app. Under the Bihar Aapda Prabandhan, the Bihar government provided a Corona Sahayata of Rs 1000 to each worker who entered Bihar from other states or was stranded outside Bihar. The application was chosen as a winner in the “pandemic category” of the central government’s Digital India Awards 2020.
- HIT stands for Home Isolation Tracking. The Covid App that has aided health workers in the regular monitoring of home-bound patients. Every day, the health worker visits the patient’s home and enters temperature and oxygen data into an app via mobile/tablet. These data sets are monitored at the district level, and if the oxygen level falls below a certain threshold, the patient is transferred to a nearby healthcare facility. This has aided the government in reaching out to a large number of homebound patients and saving lives. BSEDC created the app with the help of the Health Department and the IT Department.
- eLabharthi: The e-Labharthi System is intended to be a major transformation in electronic service delivery and financial inclusion by avoiding the pain points of existing service delivery mechanisms. Banks have the ability to transfer funds directly to the bank accounts of identified beneficiaries. DBT of all Education Department schemes, including the Chief Minister’s bicycle, dress, scholarship, meritocracy, incentive amount, and the Chief Minister’s Kishori Swasthya Yojana, will go directly to students. In a single year, more than 60 lakh beneficiaries from various schemes have benefited from the scheme.
- ePDS (Electronic public distribution system): In a significant relief to those battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government has provided free rationing to approximately The state government continued to monitor other assistance, such as providing free rations to 1.64 million ration card holders and depositing Rs 1000 in their accounts.
- Skill development in the IT/ITeS sector: The Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar, provides technical skill training to Bihar youths across the state for 9 different courses and through 117 skill development centres in the IT/ITeS domain. Bihar’s technically skilled workforce will be a valuable asset to investors and entrepreneurs.
- Healthcare initiatives: Initiatives taken by the healthcare sector during covid to strengthen it during pandemic times:
- eSanjeevani: Using eSanjeevani, patients in remote villages would be able to receive medical advice via video conference with the primary health care centre and district level sadar hospital.
- Amazing app: it would aid in providing better healthcare to pregnant women.
- Referral transport tracking system: people would benefit from a more efficient and timely ambulance service.
- The Ashwin portal ensures that asha workers, who are the backbone of village healthcare, receive their incentives on time.
- VC Application for online meetings: Online meetings have become the norm of the day, and obtaining Microsoft Teams meeting licences has ensured this. BSEDC has provided various departments with Microsoft team licences for online meetings. This has aided the department’s ability to function during lockdown
- College Wifi: The Bihar government has installed wifi on college campuses so that students can download books and study materials from outside sources.
The IT department is planning to use cutting-edge technology in service delivery, such as artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain, and Big data. Some IT department initiatives that are being implemented or planned to transform the way government functions in the new normal brought about by the pandemic include: Blockchain-based Land Ledger, GIS, Use of AI and IoT in Agriculture, Use of AI and Big data in Security and surveillance, CFMS, eOffice, eVidhan, Security Operation Centre, Bihar State Data Centre 2.0, Smart Village, and so on.
As the government expands its presence in cyberspace, we must become more aware, responsible, and responsive to the risks that come with it. Every single day, we rely on the world of cyberspace. Our hardware and software, our desktops, laptops, and cell phones, have become inextricably linked to every aspect of our lives. It’s the broadband networks beneath us, as well as the wireless signals all around us. We use the Internet to pay our bills, bank, shop, file our taxes, and so on.
NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the NDA-led Narendra Modi government over three private firms increasing mobile service tariffs, the Congress on Friday accused it of “fleecing” 109 crore cell phone users and asked how can the firms be permitted to unilaterally increase rates without any oversight and regulation.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said it may be Modi 3.0 but the thriving of “crony capitalism” continues.
The Narendra Modi government is fleecing 109 crore cell phone users by sanctioning profiteering by private cell companies, he said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.
“Effective July 3, the three private cell phone companies, i.e. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, have increased their tariffs by an average of 15 per cent. The three private cell phone companies have a market share of 91.6 per cent, or 109 crore cell phone users out of a total of 119 crore cell phone users as on December 31, 2023,” Surjewala said.
The total additional yearly payment from the pockets of the common man and woman of India seeking connectivity is Rs 34,824 crore, he said, citing TRAI.
Cell phone market in India is an ‘oligopoly’ – Reliance Jio (48 crore cell phone users), Airtel (39 crore cell phone users), Vodafone Idea (22.37 crore cell phone users), Surjewala said.
Out of these, Jio and Airtel have a customer base of 87 crore making them a virtual duopoly, he said.
Effective July 3, 2024, Reliance Jio has increased its cell phone user’s charges from 12 per cent to 27 per cent and the average increase is 20 per cent, Surjewala said.
Effective July 3, 2024, Airtel has increased its cell phone user’s charges from 11 per cent to 21 per cent with the average increase being 15 per cent, he said.
Effective July 4, 2024, Vodafone Idea has increased its cell phone user’s charges from 10 per cent to 24 per cent with the average increase being 16 per cent, Surjewala said.
“Two things stand out ‘ Firstly, the date of announcement of increase of tariffs, appears to be clearly in consultation with each other by the three private cell phone companies. Secondly, the date of effective implementation of increased tariffs is the same,” he said.
Surjewala claimed that the additional per year burden of tariff increase is Rs. 34,824 crore for 109 crore cell phone users of these three private cell phone companies.
How can private cell phone companies be permitted to unilaterally increase cell phone tariffs by Rs 34,824 crore annually without any oversight and regulation by the Modi government, he asked.
Surjewala also asked why have the Modi government and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) abdicated their duty and responsibility towards 109 cell phone users.
“Wasn’t the increase in cell phone prices withheld till the conclusion of the Parliament elections as the Modi government would have been questioned on the justification for burdening 109 crore cell phone users and fleecing them of an extra Rs 34,824 crore?” Surjewala said.
Did the Modi government or TRAI conduct any study on need of CAPEX or impact on profitability by purchase of spectrum through auction after taking into account the previous set of concessions on AGR payable under Telecom Policy, 1999 or deferring of “Spectrum Auction Installments” by Modi 2.0 on November 20, 2019 or other related factors, he asked.
“How can all Private Cellphone Companies increase their average tariffs by the same range of 15per cent-16per cent, despite the fact that their profitability, investment and CAPEX requirements are completely different? Why is the Modi government is then turning a blind eye to the same?” Surjewala said.
“Isn’t it correct that the Supreme Court of India, in “Delhi Science Forum versus Union of India” clearly stated that ‘the central government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority have not to behave like sleeping trustees, but have to function as active trustees for the public good’?” he said.
Surjewala asserted that the prime minister must answer to the people of India, including the 109 crore affected cell phone users.
Bharti Airtel last month announced a 10-21 per cent hike in prepaid and postpaid mobile tariffs from July 3, a day after larger rival Reliance Jio announced an increase in rates.
Later that day, loss-making telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) also announced its plan to raise mobile tariffs by 11-24 per cent from July 4.
Source: Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI: Indian tech startups have secured an impressive total of $4.1 billion in funding during the first half of 2024, reflecting a 4% increase from the latter half of 2023, according to Tracxn’s latest report. Although this figure represents a notable decline from the $4.8 billion raised in H1 2023, India continues to hold its position as the fourth-highest funded country globally.
The United States remains the leader in overall funding volumes, followed closely by the UK and China. Tracxn’s India Tech Semi-Annual Funding Report H1 2024 offers insights into funding trends, sectoral performances, and major developments within the Indian technology sector for the specified period.
Notable increases were observed in seed-stage funding, which climbed to $455 million, marking a 6.5% rise from H2 2023 but a 17.3% decline from H1 2023. Late-stage funding also saw a modest increase of 3.8%, amounting to $2.4 billion. The period also witnessed eight significant funding rounds exceeding $100 million each, including Flipkart’s $350 million and Meesho’s $275 million rounds.
Source: Press Trust of India
For the fourth consecutive year, Ericsson has been ranked as the leader in the Frost
Radar™ 5G Network Infrastructure Market 2024 analysis, highlighting the impact of the
company’s strategy to meet the evolving needs of communications service providers (CSPs).
Maintaining top ranking in the Frost Radar™ report over the past years has shown that
Ericsson’s investments in R&D and across a wide product portfolio – which includes all areas
of 5G network infrastructure as well as previous generations of network infrastructure – is
valued in a market where technology is constantly evolving.
The report has also acknowledged Ericsson’s sustained focus on offering the latest and
lightest energy-saving products and solutions. It also touched on the company’s Open RAN
plans.
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks at Ericsson, says: “The
latest Frost Radar report highlights our unwavering commitment to innovation and technology
leadership through the most competitive portfolio. In a challenging market, we remain
focused on our customers and move forward with even greater determination.”
Commenting on Ericsson’s top ranking, Troy Morley, Industry Principal, at Frost & Sullivan’s
Information & Communication Technology group, says: “Ericsson has done an excellent job
keeping its current customers and adding new customers, including significant replacement wins over competitors. Ericsson has a significant pipeline of customers that have yet to move
to 5G but will over the coming years.”
Ericsson currently powers *160 live 5G networks in 68 countries, which is the highest level
that Frost & Sullivan has seen publicly reported.
“Ericsson’s strategy continues to center on CSPs’ evolving needs in all areas of the world,”
Morley says. “However, with its 2020 acquisition of Cradlepoint, Ericsson also is expanding
its role with enterprise customers.”
The report has also discussed the importance of the open and virtual RAN movement and
the belief that eventually open and virtual RAN will be the norm. “Ericsson’s step into offering
Open RAN solutions in 2024 will help make this movement a reality,” Morley says. “The
company plans to offer O-RAN-compliant solutions in 2024; Frost & Sullivan believes this will
result in significant growth in open and virtual RAN revenue.”
Commenting further on the report, Morley says: “Energy efficiency has been a buzzword for
a few years and Ericsson continues to tout solutions that are smaller and lighter and that
save energy, answering its customers’ needs. This will continue with its traditional RAN
solutions and accelerate with its new Open RAN offerings.”
The Frost Radar report measures growth rates in addition to absolute revenue and combines
them with several other factors to measure companies’ performance along the Growth Index.
The report also measures innovation for each company by assessing its product portfolio, the
scalability of its innovations, the efficacy of its R&D strategy, and several other factors.
The latest report from business consulting firm Frost & Sullivan reaffirms Ericsson’s
leadership in the 5G network infrastructure market, which spans radio access networks
(RAN), transport networks, and core networks.
Mobile tariff hike:Congress blames NDA government for Rs 34,824 crore burden on public
Indian Tech Startups Surge Ahead with $4.1 Billion in Funding for H1 2024
Ericsson has been ranked as the leader in the Frost Radar 5G Network Infrastructure Market 2024
Ericsson Showcases differentiated connectivity for the value of 5G
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News3 months agoMobile tariff hike:Congress blames NDA government for Rs 34,824 crore burden on public
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5g5 months agoEricsson Showcases differentiated connectivity for the value of 5G
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5g4 months ago
Ericsson has been ranked as the leader in the Frost Radar 5G Network Infrastructure Market 2024
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News4 months agoIndian Tech Startups Surge Ahead with $4.1 Billion in Funding for H1 2024